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Fred Eaglesmith

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Fred Eaglesmith
Fred Eaglesmith at the Roots of Heaven festival at Patronaat in Haarlem, the Netherlands (2006)
Fred Eaglesmith at the Roots of Heaven festival at Patronaat in Haarlem, the Netherlands (2006)
Background information
Birth nameFrederick John Elgersma
Born (1957-07-09) July 9, 1957 (age 67)
OriginCaistor Centre, Ontario, Canada
GenresAlternative country
Occupationsinger-songwriter
Years active1980–present
LabelsA Major Label, Lonesome Day
SpouseTif Ginn (2014–present)
Websitewww.fredeaglesmith.com

Frederick John Elgersma (born July 9, 1957), known by the stage name Fred Eaglesmith, is a Canadian alternative country singer-songwriter.[1] He is known for writing songs about vehicles, rural life, down-and-out characters, lost love and quirky rural folk. His songwriting uses techniques of short story writing, including unreliable narrators, surprise endings, and plot twists. In 2016, Eaglesmith toured extensively with his band.[2]

Early life

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Eaglesmith, one of nine children, was raised by a farming family near Guelph in rural Southern Ontario.[3] He began playing the guitar at age 12.[4]

Career

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As a teenager Eaglesmith hopped a freight train to Western Canada and began writing songs and performing.

Eaglesmith founded a band known as the Smokin' Losers. He later formed a group called both the Flying Squirrels[5] and the Flathead Noodlers, switching the name to represent different styles of music. The Flathead Noodlers play bluegrass, while the Flying Squirrels play more folk and rock. His first self-titled album was released in 1980.[6]

Eaglesmith appeared in a 2001 television movie, The Gift.

A typical Fred Eaglesmith show includes his music set between several lengthy between-song comic monologues by Eaglesmith. Topics in the past have included stories about crossing the U.S.–Canada border, Newfoundlanders, and some friends from an Indian reserve. His fans are known as "Fredheads", a nod to deadheads, who followed the Grateful Dead. He is known to tour extensively throughout Canada and the U.S.

When Eaglesmith appears in solo performances, he bills himself as Fred J. Eaglesmith. In addition to his own albums, he frequently collaborated with the late Willie P. Bennett, a former member of Eaglesmith's band, who stepped down after a heart attack in early 2007.[7] Eaglesmith publishes his own records.

In 2010, Eaglesmith was featured on the Late Show with David Letterman as the musical guest. He performed "Careless" from the album Cha Cha Cha.

Starting 2012, performances were billed as the Fred Eaglesmith Travelling Steam Show and include opening songs performed by Bill Poss, The Ginn Sisters, and Tif Ginn.[8]

Fred co-wrote Tif's self-titled 2012 album with her, and the pair married in 2014. The backing band was disbanded in 2016 and they have been touring together as a duo since.[9][10]

Eaglesmith's songs have been included in the musical play, Dear Johnny Deere.[11] The play was performed at the Charlottetown Festival in 2013.[12] Tif co-produced and mixed Fred's 2017 album, Standard.[13]

Band members

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Initially a solo performer, Eaglesmith started performing as a trio with bass player Ralph Schipper and mandolin & harmonica player Willie P. Bennett around the time of his 1987 album Indiana Road. This group grew to a quartet with the addition of Washboard Hank on percussion and dobro.The group continued to evolve and change, using different names, including The Flying Squirrels, The Smoking Losers, The Flathead Noodlers, and The Fred Eaglesmith Travelling Steam Show. He retired the band in 2016 and toured as a duo with Tif Ginn until March 2020.[10][9] Since the pandemic the pair have performed select, curated concerts with their new rhythm section The Tribute Band. In 2023, Fred and Tif co-wrote and self-produced a holiday record entitled ‘A Christmas Card’ with Costa Chatzis on drums and percussion, Andy Dmytryshyn on electric bass and guitars, Tim Elgersma on keyboards, and more.

Current members

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  • Fred J. Eaglesmith – guitars, vocals
  • Tiffani Ginn – vocals, accordion, guitar, melodica, mandolin, ukulele, stand up bass, percussion
  • Costa Chatzis — drums, percussion, vocals
  • Jesse Murphy — electric bass, vocals
  • Billy “Blue” Passalacqua - guitar, vocals

Former members

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  • David Essig – mandolin, guitar
  • Scott Merritt – guitar, multiple instruments
  • Willie P. Bennett – mandolin, harmonica, vocals
  • Washboard Hank – washboard, dobro[14]
  • Ralph Schipper – bass, vocals
  • Justine Fischer – bass
  • Darcy Yates – bass, vocals
  • Luke Stackhouse – bass, vocals
  • Skip Wamsteeker – drums
  • Jude Waldman – drums
  • Kevin Komatsu – drums
  • Kori Heppner – drums
  • John P. Allen – fiddle
  • Craig Bignell – banjo, vocals, percussion
  • Roger Marin, Jr. – pedal steel, guitar, vocals
  • Dan Walsh – dobro, guitar, vocals
  • Matty Simpson – guitar, banjo, vocals
  • Mike Zinger – mandolin, banjo
  • Brit Ginn – vocals, flute
  • Tim Elgersma - keyboards
  • Chris Altmann - pedal steel, banjo
  • Liam Brown - electric bass
  • Andy Dmytryshyn - electric bass, guitars, vocals

Discography

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Albums

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  • Fred J. Eaglesmith (1980) as Fred J. Eaglesmith
  • The Boy That Just Went Wrong (1983) as Fred J. Eaglesmith
  • Indiana Road (1987) as Fred J. Eaglesmith
  • There Ain't No Easy Road (1992) as Fred J. Eaglesmith & The Flying Squirrels
  • Things Is Changin' (1993) as Fred J. Eaglesmith & The Flying Squirrels
  • From The Paradise Motel (1994) as Fred J. Eaglesmith & The Flying Squirrels
  • Drive-In Movie (1996)
  • Lipstick, Lies and Gasoline (1997)[15]
  • 50 Odd Dollars (1999)[3][14]
  • Live: Ralph's Last Show (2001)[16] as Fred Eaglesmith & The Flying Squirrels
  • Falling Stars and Broken Hearts (2002)
  • The Official Bootleg Series Volume 1: Live Solo 2002 (2002) as Fred J. Eaglesmith
  • Balin (2003) as Fred Eaglesmith & The Flathead Noodlers
  • The Official Bootleg Series Volume 2: The Fred Eaglesmith Texas Weekend 2004 (2004) as Fred J. Eaglesmith
  • Dusty (2004)
  • Milly's Cafe (2006)
  • Tinderbox (2008)
  • Cha Cha Cha (2010)[12]
  • 6 Volts (2011)
  • Tambourine (2013)[12]
  • Standard (2017)[12]
  • Alive (2020, with Tif Ginn)[17]
  • A Christmas Card (2023)

Singles

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  • Take It All Away / Caroline (1987) as Fred J. Eaglesmith; from Indiana Road
  • Wooden Wheels in Hagersville (1990) as Fred J. Eaglesmith & The Flying Squirrels; single-only release
  • Watertown (2017) from Standard

Other appearances

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  • Lucille (live), Live at the Iron Horse Vol. 1 (1997)
  • White Trash (live in studio), WNCW 88.7 – Crowd Around The Mic Volume 2 (1998)
  • Seven Shells (live in studio), Gzowski in Compilation (1999)
  • Little Buffalo (live in studio), KNON 89.3 FM: Texas Renegade Radio Vol.2 – Live In The Studio (2000)
  • Hallelujah, Go Tell It On The Mountain, CMT Christmas (2001)
  • Freight Train (live), Fish Out Of Water 3: Out Of The Fire - Into The Air (2003)
  • I Like Trains (live), Dawson City Music Festival 50.30 – A CBC Compilation (2008)
  • Arthur Dale's Statement, Miners' Angel - A Tribute To Mother Jones (2015)

Filmography

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  • There Ain't No Easy Road (2005) Documentary DVD
  • Pickin' In The Pines: Live At The 2005 Great Northern Picnic (2006) Concert DVD, as Fred Eaglesmith And The Flying Squirrels
  • Live Below Sea Level (2007) Concert DVD recorded live with band in 2006
  • The Small Beers Tour (2009) Concert DVD recorded live solo in 2005
  • The Fred Eaglesmith Traveling Steam Show (2015) DVD including both concert and documentary footage

Music videos

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Year Video Director
1998 105[18] Steven Goldmann
1999 Rodeo Boy
2007 Thinkin' 'bout You[19] Michael Salomon
2010 I Would Roger Maunder
2013 Johnny Cash

References

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  1. ^ Here Publishing (March 29, 2005). "The Advocate". The Advocate the National Gay & Lesbian Newsmagazine. Here Publishing: 65–. ISSN 0001-8996.
  2. ^ " Fred Eaglesmith Explains His Creative Push Forward with 'Tambourine'". Exclaim!, By Kerry Doole, January 29, 2014
  3. ^ a b CMJ Network, Inc. (July 1999). CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. pp. 47–. ISSN 1074-6978.
  4. ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. November 1, 1997. pp. 10–. ISSN 0006-2510.
  5. ^ No Depression. No Depression. 2001. p. 121.
  6. ^ "Fred Eaglesmith rocks the Empire". Dakota Student, October 4, 2016
  7. ^ Ray Robertson (March 21, 2016). Lives of the Poets (with Guitars): Thirteen Outsiders Who Changed Modern Music. Biblioasis. pp. 176–. ISBN 978-1-77196-073-1.
  8. ^ "Fred Eaglesmith performed in concert in Kamsack". Kamsack Times, October 31, 2016
  9. ^ a b "Fred Eaglesmith has found his musical love in Tif Ginn". Kawarthanow.com. March 30, 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Fred Eaglesmith is just kickin' life around - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune. March 2, 2017.
  11. ^ "Fred in your head: Eaglesmith musical illuminates rural life". Cam Fuller, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, September 15, 2016
  12. ^ a b c d "New Fred Eaglesmith album worth the wait". The Guardian, January 11, 2014
  13. ^ "Fred Eaglesmith – Standard (2017, CD) - Discogs". Discogs.
  14. ^ a b "Fred Eaglesmith – 50-Odd Dollars". No Depression, June 30, 1999
  15. ^ Jason Schneider (December 15, 2010). Whispering Pines: The Northern Roots of American Music... from Hank Snow to the Band. ECW Press. pp. 1–. ISBN 978-1-55490-552-2.
  16. ^ Mois Benarroch (July 14, 2008). The Modern Troubadour – Music Reviews of Singer Songwriters. Lulu.com. pp. 44–. ISBN 978-1-4092-1059-7.
  17. ^ Steve Horowitz, "‘Alive’ Showcases the Two Sides of Fred Eaglesmith and Tif Ginn". PopMatters, November 12, 2020.
  18. ^ "CMT : Videos : Fred Eaglesmith : 105". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  19. ^ "CMT : Videos : Fred Eaglesmith : Thinkin' 'Bout You (from the CMT film Broken Bridges)". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
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